Calacas and calaveras

Today was the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. "The most familiar symbol of Dia de los Muertos may be the calacas and calaveras (skeletons and skulls), which appear everywhere during the holiday: in candied sweets, as parade masks, as dolls. Calacas and calaveras are almost always portrayed as enjoying life, often in fancy clothes and entertaining situations." (National Geographic)

The picture on the left shows the skull, arms, and handlebars of the 22-foot high sculpture "The Bicycle," by folk artist Martin Sanchez. Like all of Sanchez's work, this skeleton on a bicycle is made of 100% recycled “repurposed” materials, often referred to as “found art.”